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100% ground duels won, 12 clearances: United Youth Cup winning captain dominates League Two attackers again

Manchester United have had six loanees involved in senior action this weekend so far in another busy Saturday afternoon of football.

Rhys Bennett once again made the largest contribution, earning another start for Fleetwood Town.

The 2022 Youth Cup winning captain was on the victorious side as The Cod Army beat MK Dons 4-2 away from home.

The United defender made a commanding 12 clearances alongside one tackle and one interception.

The youngster won 100% of his ground duels but lost his only aerial battle.

Bennett was also involved in the build-up as he had 79 touches of the ball and completed 46 out of his 56 passing attempts.

19 year old Ethan Williams had much less of an impact. He could do little as his Cheltenham Town side lost 0-2 to Tranmere Rovers on Friday evening.

The United winger was subbed off at half-time and only managed 15 touches of the ball as he struggled to get stuck into the action.

He only completed two passes in the first half but one of them was credited as a key pass.

Williams had one shot off target and was unsuccessful in both his dribble attempts as he could not break down the resolute Tranmere defence.

The young winger did contribute defensively with three ground duels won and three successful tackles.

Ethan Ennis came on for the final 13 minutes of Doncaster Rovers’ 3-0 victory over Carlisle United.

He had one shot blocked and completed 75% of his passes as the home side saw out the result with ease.

The youngster also won two out of his three ground duels to help his team over the line.

Joe Hugill also played the final 10 minutes of the same game for Carlisle, but had little influence as he failed to have a single shot and only made two passes in the entire time he was on the field.

Jack Kingdon came on as a half-time substitute as Rochdale AFC romped to a 4-0 victory over Aldershot Town and James Nolan played in Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s 4-1 defeat to Queen of the South in Scotland.


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Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

“I feel no pain”: defiant United star sends immensely positive message on comeback from cruel injury

The centre-back situation at Manchester United got so bad that Ruben Amorim was forced to start 18-year-old Ayden Heaven in back-to-back games before the international break.

Soon after Lisandro Martinez’s season-ending injury, Harry Maguire also got sidelined and has been missing in action for a month.

And the big blow came when in-form Leny Yoro also dropped out during the 1-1 draw against Arsenal after sustaining a foot injury and missed two games. Thankfully, the international break arrived just in time as the injuries were piling up.

The Frenchman was in imperious form as he shone in the World Cup winner’s absence, regularly bombing forward with the ball and attempting line-breaking passes, just what the head coach wants from his defenders.

Yoro now injury-free

The 19-year-old has made 21 appearances in his debut season for the Red Devils but has suffered two separate injuries, a byproduct of the pre-season issue.

And United have had to be careful while managing his recovery, with the former Lille star also working diligently behind-the-scenes to come back stronger.

As relayed by The Peoples Person, he has returned to first-team training, just in time for the crucial Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on April 1.

In an interview with the official website, Yoro revealed how he was feeling at the moment while also thanking the club for standing by him during his tough moments in Manchester.

Yoro breaks his silence

“I feel really good, I am back in training today and I feel no pain. I am really happy with everything. Honestly, everyone in the club has helped me.

“Even with an injury in the middle of the season, the medical staff, the players, the fans, everyone was able to support me and this is something you need when you get a big injury. It has been really important for me.”

With Heaven out injured, Yoro might be required from the start in the upcoming games and Amorim will nervously watch on and hope the France U23 international comes out unscathed during training this week.

Not only huge games in the league against Manchester City and Newcastle but the 20-time English league champions also face Olympique Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals next month.

Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images


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Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

“He’s not seen a match”: club boss gets revenge on Sir Jim Ratcliffe with brutal put-down

OGC Nice manager Franck Haise has fired back at Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently admitted the French side don’t excite him as much.

Ratcliffe’s INEOS firm has owned Nice since 2019, but his focus on the club has noticeably dwindled since acquiring a minority stake in United.

United’s involvement in this season’s Europa League has forced Ratcliffe and INEOS to temporarily scale back their involvement at Nice, as UEFA rules prevent dual influence over two clubs in the same competition.

However, in a recent interview with The Times, Ratcliffe revealed he doesn’t really enjoy watching them play. The British businessman said, “I don’t particularly enjoy going to watch Nice because there are some good players. But the level of football is not high enough for me to get excited.”

Ratcliffe’s comments landed him in hot water with Nice supporters and it seems Haise wasn’t pleased with them either.

The Nice boss pointed out that Ratcliffe hasn’t attended a game this season, suggesting he has no grounds for his comments.

Haise remarked [as quoted by The Sun], “The article that [the comments] appeared in was a lot more complete than that. But he hasn’t seen a Nice match this season.”

“He’s speaking a bit more about what he saw at another time.”

“With the people who are here at the club, we are here to make the club progress in order to be even better.”

The 53-year-old coach added, “It’s not that serious. We can be annoyed, that’s obvious. But is it really worth staying annoyed for a long time?”

“We have got to keep working, enjoying ourselves and we have got to be doing the best possible. We have to move on and continue on our path.”

Nice currently sit in fourth place in the French top flight.


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Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

United’s deal for must-have signing at serious risk as rival European club readies massive bid – report

Bayern Munich are preparing to table a bid for Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper and reported Manchester United target Bart Verbruggen.

United could look to make a change between the sticks this summer, amidst uncertainty over the long-term future of Andre Onana.

The Cameroonian is undergoing another difficult season, which has seen him make a number of high-profile errors that have dearly cost United at times. He has been linked with a summer move to the Saudi Pro League, with Ruben Amorim believed to be keen on offloading him.

However, it was recently stated that Onana has no desire to part ways with the Red Devils. He will only leave if he’s told he is surplus to requirements.

United have been linked to a number of goalkeepers including Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp), Lucas Chevalier (Lille), John Victor (Botafogo), James Trafford (Burnley) and of course, Verbruggen.

It was claimed that Verbruggen is a top target to replace Onana at Old Trafford. Verbruggen has kept six Premier League clean sheets this season. Considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, he excels with the ball at his feet and is very comfortable when playing out from the back.

His skill set makes him a perfect fit for teams that play on the front foot, press aggressively, and dominate possession.

Now, according to The Telegraph, Bayern Munich have identified the United target as their number one choice to replace Manuel Neuer.

“Bayern Munich are preparing to make a bid for £60 million-rated Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen this summer after monitoring his stunning progress in the Premier League.”

“The Bundesliga leaders have been assessing their long-term goalkeeper options and Verbruggen is understood to be at the top of their list if they can beat competition for him.”

Brighton spent £16.3m to sign Verbruggen from Anderlecht two years ago, and if they sanction his sale this summer, they stand to make a significant profit.

If United are intent on materialising their interest in Verbruggen, they must be wary of competition from Bayern. United are back in action on Tuesday, when they go to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest.

Feature image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images


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Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

Fabrizio Romano shares incredible news all United fans have been dying to hear

Manchester United’s injury cloud seems to be slowly dissipating as per the latest reports with multiple stars set to back in time for the business end of the season.

As relayed by The Peoples Person, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo are all in contention for a spot in the matchday squad for the game against Nottingham Forest on April 1.

In further good news, Luke Shaw is also back on the grass after a lengthy absence while Ayden Heaven’s injury is not as bad as initially feared. Even the goalkeeping contingent is currently looking a lot healthier.

But the best piece of news comes courtesy Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that Amad could be set to return earlier than scheduled.

Amad’s return

“Amad Diallo, progressing well in his recovery after injury and currently understood to be ahead of schedule. Manchester United staff cautious as they won’t take any risks…

“…but there’s a real chance for Amad to be back on pitch before the end of the season, around May,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

🚨👀 Amad Diallo, progressing well in his recovery after injury and currently understood to be ahead of schedule.

Manchester United staff cautious as they won’t take any risks…

…but there’s a real chance for Amad to be back on pitch before the end of the season, around May. pic.twitter.com/f9WdD87jhF

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 29, 2025

It was a hammer blow for Ruben Amorim when the Ivorian suffered an ankle injury in training and as per initial reports, the 22-year-old was set to be out for the season.

He was the head coach’s most potent attacking weapon, registering nine goals and seven assists this season while impressing with his versatility and creativity.

Earlier than anticipated

Amorim had utilised him both as a No 10 and wingback and the Ivory Coast international had passed with flying colours in both positions.

Recently, the Portuguese admitted that the ex-Atalanta starlet could be back before the season ends while the player himself offered a cryptic hint recently.

Now it seems the news is true with Amad progressing well in his rehabilitation and is set to return a lot earlier than anticipated.

If United survive the Europa League quarter-final test against Olympique Lyon in April, the versatile star’s return would be a huge boost for the club in May.


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Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

Crystal Palace risk Olise repeat with Man Utd reminded Eze *could* be perfect signing for Amorim

Eberechi Eze was the star of the show vs Fulham as Crystal Palace risk a repeat of the Michael Olise situation with Man Utd surely licking their lips…

We ranked Crystal Palace first and Fulham second in our FA Cup ‘give a t*ss’ ranking, and if either side were not aware of the enormity of Saturday afternoon’s all-London quarter-final at Craven Cottage, their supporters reminded them of the match’s importance minutes before kick-off.

The home faithful were in party mode as their players were welcomed onto the pitch by a sea of white flags/balloons and a rather large banner, which read: ‘London’s Original Football Club’. It was a proper FA Cup occasion.

Palace and Fulham have lost three FA Cup finals, while neither side has won the competition. So, it should not be surprising that this quarter-final was heated from minute one, with heavy challenges and well-fought battles to follow the great pre-match scenes.

England international Adam Wharton was given a reprieve by forgiving officials after his needless swipe at Rodrigo Muniz, which could have easily resulted in a second booking before the interval.

Muniz was a constant thorn in Palace’s side after he was given the nod ahead of Raul Jimenez to start, mainly due to his great FA Cup form with four goal involvements in Fulham’s previous three ties.

Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix and Craig Richards were given the runaround by Muniz’s strong holdup play and powerful running, with Fulham comfortably the better side for the opening 25 minutes.

Muniz curled his shot wide inside the opening five minutes before Andreas Pereira failed to convert his low effort after Calvin Bassey’s run from centre-back carved Palace open.

Palace barely got out of their half for the first quarter of the match, as they remained solid even with Muniz’s success and gradually grew into the game.

The turning point came as Jefferson Lerma sweetly struck a perfectly timed volley, which had the hearts of all supporters in their mouths as the ball bounced away off the crossbar.

Muniz was winning the No.9 battle as Jean-Phillippe Mateta, resembling Petr Cech with his new head guard, struggled with his touches often loose.

Thankfully for Palace, Eze stepped up and almost singlehandedly won the match within five minutes.

READ: Trophyless XI of players chasing FA Cup glory features England pair Eze and Watkins

Days after scoring his first England goal, Eze produced another moment of individual brilliance by drifting inside and drilling the ball into the far corner past Bernd Leno from the edge of the penalty area.

This silenced a jubilant Craven Cottage, and Eze worsened the mood of the home supporters soon after, making the most of the freedom afforded by Serge Berge to work an angle for an expert cross, which was converted past Leno at the near post by Ismaila Sarr.

Behind Arsenal and Liverpool, Crystal Palace have the third-best defence in the Premier League with only 33 goals conceded, so Fulham were given a mountain to climb following Eze’s two acts of quality.

The Cottagers had a good go at climbing said mountain and Palace prevented a grandstand finish by denying Bassey on the goal-line, but lacked the necessary pace and creative spark to break through an impenetrable defence.

It was a match to forget for Mateta as he exited with 20 minutes remaining having offered very little and was upstaged by his replacement as Eddie Nketiah settled the match with 15 minutes remaining with a calm finish after beating the offside trap.

The former Arsenal star has cut a frustrated figure in Mateta’s shadow for most of this season, but suddenly has three goals in four competitive matches with Palace finally starting to see a return on the £25m plus add-ons fee invested to sign him last summer.

It was another positive day for Nketiah en route to his return to prominence and for Palace as they pretty seamlessly booked their place in the semi-finals with supporters praying for Oliver Glasner to create some Wembley magic after Alan Pardew failed via dancing on the touchline vs Man Utd in the 2016 final.

But it was Eze’s day in what’s otherwise been a sub-par season for an attacking midfielder of his immense quality.

Eze is a joy to watch on his day, but he has not produced this level of performance enough times this season. He will need to maintain this standard if he’s to remain in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad and potentially follow Michael Olise in securing a major transfer this summer.

This version of Eze is a player who could play for any of the Big Six in a heartbeat, with a role in Ruben Amorim’s 3-5-2 formation perhaps most aligned with his attributes.

A £68m move to Man Utd has been mooted with Eze ‘open’ to the switch, and a sustained run of top form (potentially to seal the FA Cup for Crystal Palace) could make him a prime candidate to re-energise Amorim’s attack.

READ NEXT: Johnny Nic’s TV awards: Best presenters, pundits, commentators, programmes and more

United ready to sell their remarkable talent for surprisingly low fee, Spanish giants willing to negotiate – report

Manchester United are willing to let Alejandro Garnacho leave for peanuts this summer, as per reports.

Garnacho has endured a difficult season at United, having struggled to cement his place in Ruben Amorim’s starting lineup.

The 20-year-old, who was one of Erik ten Hag’s most important attacking threats, has not managed to get the hang of playing as a wide playmaker in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation.

Further, his attitude has also come into question. Late in February, Garnacho received backlash from the United head coach for his reaction at being substituted in the first half against Ipswich Town.

The Argentine talent was also overlooked by Lionel Scaloni for Argentina’s fixtures during the March international break. The situation has led to question marks over his future at Old Trafford.

Manchester United slap low fee on Alejandro Garnacho

According to Fichajes, United have decided to “open the door” to the possible sale of Garnacho in the summer transfer window.

It is claimed United have set a €60 million (£50.1m) price tag for the left-winger.

Despite his inconsistent form under Amorim, the alleged asking price appears too low considering Garnacho’s potential.

His ability to take on defenders relentlessly and ball-striking remains impressive and has helped him register nine goals and eight assists across all competitions.

Chelsea and Napoli both showed interest in signing Garnacho during the winter transfer window. Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming the Serie A outfit are not expected to return for the United No 17.

Now, Atletico Madrid are reported to be very keen on the Spain-born forward, who left their academy to join United’s youth setup in 2020.

The Rojiblancos see Garnacho as an “ideal option” to strengthen their attack and are understood to be prepared to negotiate with their English counterparts. 

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images


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Vishal has covered football for over five years. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person. Big fan of ball-playing center-backs!

High-ranking United chief reveals transfer masterstroke behind snatching rising star from rival club

Manchester United’s Head of Academy, Nick Cox, has shared how the club successfully fended off strong competition from both domestic and international sides to secure Chido Obi from Arsenal last summer.

Despite Arsenal’s repeated efforts to retain Obi, he chose to leave, attracting interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.

However, it was United who came out on top in the race to land the goalscoring sensation. He slotted seamlessly into the youth ranks at Old Trafford, scoring a hat-trick within 15 minutes of his first start for the U18s.

He has managed 15 goals across U18 and U21 levels. Ruben Amorim handed Obi his senior debut in February, when he came on in the dying embers of the club’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. He has made four senior appearances so far, and it appears to only be a matter of time before he gets his first start in a United shirt.

Cox sat down with Manchester Evening News and detailed how the swoop for Obi unfolded.

“Occasionally you get moments like this. Arsenal are a wonderful club. They deliver a great program and develop great players. For one reason or another, and it’s for Chido and his family to know why, they felt the best opportunities for him may rest away from Arsenal.”

“Because he holds a Danish passport, the whole of Europe was open to Chido. We quite simply became aware of the fact that Chido was about to make a move to Europe. He’d been to visit a club and identified the club where he was going to potentially end up. We thought if this player is available and is looking to leave, then we should make every effort we possibly can to sign him.”

“The pretty familiar formula for Manchester United’s senior and youth teams has always been having the best local players and adding some of the best talent from further afield.”

“If you look back, it’s George Best, it’s Bobby Charlton, or it’s Duncan Edwards from further afield, added to a group of local lads. Then fast forward and it’s someone like Paul Pogba.”

“We have an extensive group of talented scouts who are exceptional at looking at potential in players. We’re trying to make sure there’s a healthy pool of high-potential talent sitting beneath the first team. It was a real concerted effort to sign Chido, so there’d been a lot of work done by our recruitment team led by Luke Fedderenko, and Stephen Ajewole would have played a key role in that as well. Sam Williams too.”

Cox continued, “The coaching staff would have played a key role as well because we’re trying to present an opportunity. This is our staff, this is our history and track record of developing players. This is what the program looks like, this is the resource that would be available to you. This is how we see the club in the future.”

“We had an opportunity to meet with Chido’s family and the important people to him. We had a number of conversations that allowed us the opportunity to be the club that he chose to join.”

“He’s in a good place at the moment. There have been opportunities to train with the first team and a few opportunities from off the bench. But let’s be honest, there’s been some injuries and some disruption to the squad. The art is to just keep regularly reviewing where a player is at. You saw Kobbie [Mainoo] bounce between teams before he finally got in and Alejandro was a little bit the same, so there’s always twists and turns.”

United’s U18s are on the brink of reaching the FA Youth Cup final, with the team currently set to face Aston Villa in the semis on Monday evening.

It remains unclear whether Obi, who has struck seven goals in the competition, will play any further role in the competition, now that he has been promoted to the first team.

Asked about this, Cox answered, “He’s an eligible player for the youth team. I don’t really know if we’re going to get to a final. We’ve got a game to get through on Monday first, but let’s be honest, we’ve got lots of good players. If we got to the final, that would be over a month away. I don’t know what the next month might bring.”

Another player Cox discussed was Harry Amass. The young full-back finally made his senior United debut during the 3-0 win over Leicester City just before the international break. He came on as a replacement for Garnacho in the 69th minute of proceedings.

On Amass, Cox told MEN “I’m delighted for Harry, his family and everyone that’s worked with him, including the guys at Watford that worked with him before he came to us. We’ve talked about what an amazing landmark it is, but there’s still a long way to go.”

“He’s been in and around the first-team squad for maybe about a year, hasn’t he? I don’t pick the team, so the reasons why he wasn’t selected [before Leicester] will be valid, but that’s for the coaching staff and Harry to know the reasons, but he’s had to be patient.”

“It wasn’t as if he wasn’t disappointed. Of course you’re desperate, you want to play and get on the pitch, but I’ve been really impressed with the determination, the resilience and the persistence to keep learning. He’s spent time with the first-team and then back with the youth team. He’s kept working, kept improving and been ready for when the moment comes. As a young player, you don’t know when it’s going to come and you’ve got to be ready, which isn’t easy.”

Cox confirmed that United attempted to loan out Amass in January but they couldn’t find the right opportunity and so, a decision was made to keep him.

On Amorim and his stance on young players, Cox explained, “You’ve heard him talk about it. He takes great pride in the work he’s done away from here in terms of debuting young players and you can only measure a man by his actions. There are players in the team, in the first-team squads and there have been debuts given. You’re starting to see him put real faith in Toby Collyer.”

“He obviously has a real excitement about young players and helping them, but listen, they have to be good enough, there’s no favours or charity given. It’s exciting times for the young players.”

Cox mentioned that he has a strong relationship with Amorim and emphasised that it’s a collaborative effort, with Jason Wilcox, Darren Fletcher, and the coaching staff all playing crucial roles.

After taking over as head coach, Amorim quickly implemented his preferred 3-4-3 formation. However, adapting to the new system has been challenging for some players.

Meanwhile, the youth teams have maintained their usual formations, prompting suggestions that a tactical shift could help ease the transition to the senior set-up.

When this was put to Cox, he remarked, “It’s a collective approach to decide how the academy team is going to play, so it’s not my choice. There’s conversations between myself, Jason Wilcox, the senior coaches within the academy in terms of Trav Binnion, Dave Hughes, Adam Lawrence and Colin Little.”

“We talk about the type of football that our boys will need to experience to give them a well-rounded education, which is going to equip them for the game, not just to get them to the start line and for them to make a debut, but these boys will still be playing around 2045 and 2050.”

“I don’t know what the game is going look like in 2050, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be quicker, more flexible, more dynamic, it’s going to require adaptable players, flexible players, players who have a game sense.”

“Our approach has to be about equipping the individuals because I’m trying to equip those individuals to be able to win a game in the future, not trying to win us a game right now. I don’t want to get too detailed, but the formation is a small sliver of the consideration. It’s more about the principles, so if you look at the teams, the principles are the same.”

“We’re trying to play a modern version of the game, which is to dominate the ball, control the game, try and play in the opposition half, and if you lose the ball, then try to win it back quickly. The formation is different, but we think that the formation pretty much translates to being dropped in at first-team level. You’ll also see boys who are slowly integrated into Ruben’s training sessions. They’ll start with recovery sessions as a small group and then maybe as individuals in a main session.”

“Ruben’s approach is to work really hard on how his team is going to play, so it’s weeks and weeks of that education before you potentially get to come on as a substitute for a debut.”

Amorim and his players are back in action on Tuesday when they face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Kick-off is at 19:00 GMT.

Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images


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Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

Man Utd news: Amorim giving ‘serious’ thought to £67m attack for 19-goal Bundesliga striker

Manchester United are reportedly ‘seriously considering’ a move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who the Bundesliga side want £67million for.

United have struggled in front of goal with two strikers who it was felt were promising in the last two summers. They signed Rasmus Hojlund in 2023 and Joshua Zirkzee in 2024.

Between them this season, they have six goals in the Premier League, with Hojlund having played 24 games in the competition and Zirkzee 29.

It seems evident that they’re currently not up to standard, and while the club could wait to see if that happens with one or both of them, in the meantime, they will surely want a striker up top who can find the net.

According to Florian Plettenberg, United are ‘seriously considering’ Ekitike as that striker. His club, Frankfurt, are said to be aware of the Red Devils’ interest.

Ekitike has 19 goals and eight assists in all competitions this season, which would make him the second-most productive player in the United side, behind Bruno Fernandes, who has been perhaps the only properly in form player at the club this season.

MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365:
👉 Cristiano Ronaldo tells star to move to Man Utd ahead of ‘blockbuster transfer window’
👉 ‘Completely devastated’ striker reveals agony over Man Utd transfer collapse after £25m bid

Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus are all said to have registered interest in Ekitike. At Arsenal, Alexander Isak is still said to be the priority, though it seems it will be hard for them to land the Newcastle striker.

If Ekitike is given the choice between the other three clubs, United, Liverpool and Juventus, it seems unlikely that the Red Devils will be chosen.

Liverpool are far clear at the top of the Premier League, so it would seem that would be the best place to go of the two English sides.

That said, if United are the only side who were to lodge a bid, they’d of course be in the best position. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

READ MORE: Arsenal, Man Utd target Benjamin Sesko rules out one summer transfer ‘because of Harry Kane’

Video: Former United star sparks wild mass brawl in South America with cheeky showboating trick

Former Manchester United attacker Memphis Depay sparked a mass brawl in Corinthians’ 1-0 aggregate win over Palmeiras, which gave the São Paulo outfit their first title in six years.

The Dutch forward signed for United in 2015 in the Louis van Gaal era.

He could never really live up to his promise though as he made just 53 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals.

Depay was sold after just two years to Olympique Lyonnais, where he enjoyed five successful seasons before brief spells at FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Last year he moved to Brazil, where he has scored nine goals in 30 matches for Corinthians.

In a typically feisty South American encounter, there were four red cards and 13 yellow cards shared out amongst the players and coaching staff.

At the centre of the carnage was Depay.

TalkSPORT report that “with Corinthians desperately holding onto their slender advantage, Depay attempted a bit of showboating by the corner flag – standing on the ball with his arms outstretched.”

“His behaviour ended up triggering an all-out melee when an opposition player stormed over and shoved him off the ball.”

The Palmeiras players clearly took exception to Depay’s actions and felt that he was disrespecting them unnecessarily in such an emotional moment of the match.

Two players, one from each side, were given their matching orders after the on-pitch altercation.

Tempers were already flaring after Corinthians escaped a red card when their captain Felix Torres gave away a penalty but avoided a second yellow card, leaving the opposition furious.

Nonetheless, Depay had the last laugh as he won his first piece of silverware in Brazil for his new club.

Featured image Alex Bierens de Haan via Getty Images


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Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.